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Katie Algeo, Ph.D. Associate
Professor Department of Geography & Geology |
Research Interests:
I’m a cultural/historical geographer with
a background in computer science and mathematics. In my life as a geographer,
these interests intersect in a serious interest in historical GIS. Most of my
research in recent years has revolved around the cultural history of Mammoth
Cave, Kentucky, from its early use as a site of saltpeter production, through
its development as a privately-owned tourism resort, and its eventual
conversion into a national park. My most recent article from this project
explores African American tourism to Mammoth Cave during the Jim Crow era.
Mammoth Cave has a multi-faceted and fascinating human history, as well as
being an awesome feature of the physical landscape. A related project,
implemented with the assistance of graduate students Matt Brunt and Ann
Epperson, is the creation of the Mammoth Cave Historical GIS, dedicated to
representing and preserving public memory of the pre-park residents of the
Mammoth Cave area.
Like all good cultural/historical
geographers, I love a road trip, especially on backroads
and byways, and even more so if it involves regional food. Agricultural
geography also keeps drawing me back to the field. I’ve spent a fair amount of
time studying burley tobacco production, I’ve looked into conditions behind the
burgeoning growth of Kentucky wineries, and I’m currently researching 19th
century mushroom production in caves.
Selected Publications On-Line:
Underground
Tourists / Tourists Underground: African American Tourism to Mammoth Cave
Mammoth Cave and the Making of Place
Teaching
Cultural Geography with Bend It Like Beckham
Onomastics as an Interdisciplinary Study
The Rise of Tobacco as a Southern
Appalachian Staple: Madison County, North Carolina
Mammoth Cave Historical GIS:
http://mammothhgis.yolasite.com/
http://161.6.109.206/mammothHGIS/